A Sage's Pursuit of Power

Obito initially considered using Shinra Tensei to level the entire area, but he ultimately held back.

The move would leave him severely weakened, and he was facing six Kage-level opponents. While Shinra Tensei was effective for clearing out weaker foes and altering terrain, it wasn't enough to instantly kill elite fighters like these.

For a moment, Obito couldn't help but lament the loss of his Kamui Mangekyō Sharingan. If he still had Kamui, he wouldn't have been cornered like this.

But the situation was what it was, and there were no better options. Obito shrugged off his cloak, revealing his bare upper body.

His body, having undergone multiple tearings, repairs, and modifications, was now almost indistinguishable from a White Zetsu.

Aside from his heart and brain, most of his vital organs were either gone or reconstructed. The rushed integration had left his body crisscrossed with grotesque scars.

The sight of his twisted body made several Akatsuki members frown.

Kisame was the first to act, forming hand seals.

"I'll go first. Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

As a top-tier water-style user, Kisame flooded the area, transforming the entire plaza into a vast lake to create a battlefield advantageous to him.

At the same time, Sasori waved his hands, summoning the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu.

Except for Itachi, the Akatsuki members were all skilled at handling group combat. Their coordinated attack made it seem as if Obito were being assaulted by hundreds of enemies at once.

But a battle-hardened veteran like Obito wasn't one to surrender easily.

"Earth Release: Chaos of Hell!"

"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"

Obito unleashed his signature Earth Release, only to face Shin's equally formidable Wood Release at the same time.

"This guy…" Obito gritted his teeth. While he had known Shin possessed Wood Release, it was only now, facing it directly, that he realized how potent Shin's abilities were, possibly even surpassing his own.

It was no wonder Nagato and Konan had held Shin in such high regard.

The two Wood Release techniques clashed and intertwined, creating chaos that even someone of Itachi's caliber struggled to intervene in.

Wood Release wasn't inherently invincible, but once its scale and strength reached a certain threshold, it became nearly unbeatable for ordinary shinobi.

In an instant, the plaza in the Land of Hot Springs was reduced to rubble.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Forming hand seals, Obito unleashed a massive fireball, breaking through the Wood Release and forcing Shin to retreat. However, Hiruko suddenly flickered in front of the fireball and raised a hand, activating Dark Release, absorbing Obito's jutsu.

"Dark Release…"

Obito knew the abilities of the Akatsuki members, which only added to his frustration. With the Rinnegan, conventional ninjutsu wouldn't work against him, but Hiruko's ability to absorb jutsu made things even more complicated.

This left Wood Release and taijutsu as his only viable options.

While Obito was skilled in taijutsu, the presence of Sasori and his Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu made close combat highly risky.

Puppeteers countered taijutsu specialists by nature. Puppets were equipped with weapons and poison, making them deadly in close-range combat. Even a small mistake could be fatal for the attacker.

Obito could use Shinra Tensei to clear the area, but the Akatsuki members were prepared for that. Deidara remained airborne, staying out of Shinra Tensei's range.

While Shinra Tensei could theoretically reach him, the cost would be immense, especially considering the already high consumption of the Rinnegan's abilities.

To make matters worse, Obito knew that Shin, like Kakuzu, had a pseudo-immortal body, making it even harder to eliminate him.

The more Obito analyzed the situation, the more problematic it seemed. His severe injuries had left him without the resources to create his Six Paths puppets, leaving him stuck in this deadlock.

At the edge of the city, Konoha's team observed the situation.

Using her Mind's Eye of the Kagura, Karin provided live updates.

"Obito tried to escape the battlefield but was forced back. He engaged in a brief Wood Release exchange with Shin, but it ended in a draw. The battle is now at a stalemate. Obito seems to be struggling.

He hasn't summoned his Six Paths puppets, and his use of the Rinnegan's abilities appears to be unrefined. The situation looks bad for him."

At least, that was how it appeared on the surface. However, Aoba knew better.

There was no way someone like Obito would be defeated this easily. As a Rinnegan wielder, Obito still had a trump card up his sleeve.

Back on the battlefield, Kisame launched another attack.

"Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"

Obito activated the Rinnegan's absorption ability to nullify the chakra-based water technique. However, the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu quickly closed in.

Obito found puppetry even more troublesome than traditional ninjutsu, especially given his weakened state.

If he were at his peak or still had Kamui, he wouldn't have even blinked at this level of opposition.

Since puppetry couldn't be absorbed, Obito had no choice but to use Shinra Tensei to repel the puppets. He then quickly formed hand seals.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

The Rinnegan's Summoning Jutsu was one of the points Aoba had always been curious about. The summoning beasts used by the Animal Path of Pain's Six Paths weren't ordinary summonings.

Not only were they creatures never seen before in the ninja world, but they were also immensely powerful. Some of them even had strength close to that of tailed beasts.

The one Aoba remembered most vividly was the Multi-Headed Hellhound, which gave the three Great Toads of Mount Myōboku an extremely hard time.

Now, with Obito's summoning, the first to appear was the Multi-Headed Hellhound, followed by the massive bird capable of flight and dropping bombs, the enormous rhino with its overwhelming strength and nearly impenetrable hide, and other similarly formidable creatures.

In total, Obito summoned at least ten beasts at once. Clearly, he had realized the gravity of the situation and was pulling out all the stops.

After summoning the beasts, Obito retreated—and then seemed to vanish into thin air.

"He disappeared? No… it's some kind of invisible summoning beast."

It was the Chameleon, previously summoned by Nagato in the original storyline. The creature had incredible stealth capabilities, to the point where even Jiraiya, in Sage Mode, had difficulty sensing it before finally locating and defeating it.

However, the Akatsuki members facing Obito now did not possess Sage Mode. For a moment, they completely lost track of his position.

But they were top-tier shinobi and quickly adapted to the situation.

Kisame formed hand seals, and the water on the ground began flowing again. With his massive chakra reserves, he could use large-scale water-style jutsu for sensory purposes.

Soon, the water encountered some kind of invisible obstruction.

"Found you."

Check out the patreon and get 50 chapters in advance -> SaintXI

Currently on Chapter 296 - Strategic Ninjutsu